Brussels, 29/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - the Commission has cleared the acquisition of the Food Ingredients branch (DFI) of the German company Degussa (food ingredients) by the American Cargill group. Initially concerned about the horizontal overlaps of the parties' activities, the Commission opened a detailed inquiry, which showed that the new entity would continue to face sufficient competition. Cargill and DFI occupy a relatively strong position in the markets for lecithin, which is used as an emulsifier mainly by chocolate manufacturers and bakeries, and, to a lesser extend, in other sectors, such as animal feeds. During the in-depth investigation, the Commission noted that several Brazilian and Indian producers had been able to enter the markets due to their easy access to the raw material (non-GM soya beans) and their partnership with distributors established in Europe.